Tokyu Introduces Pepper+ at 'relark Izu-Hokuto,' Launching First-Ever 'AI Concierge Agent' for Tourism Guidance

SoftBank Robotics Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Fumehide Tomizawa; hereinafter 'SoftBank Robotics') announces the introduction of its latest humanoid robot 'Pepper+', equipped with cutting-edge AI and video analytics technology, at 'relark Izu-Hokuto,' scheduled to open on Saturday, July 11, 2026, by Tokyu Corporation (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President: Masahiro Horie; hereinafter 'Tokyu').

'relark Izu-Hokuto' is the fifth location in Tokyu's 'relark (Riraku)' network—a relaxation workspace lounge designed for individual users. The facility will provide a new telework environment in the Izu-Hokuto area and serve as a hub offering lounge functions at Izu-Hokuto Station for a wide range of users, including local residents, students, and tourists.

The facility is being developed under the 'Collaboration Agreement for a Community Hub with Co-Working Functions' signed between the City of Ito and Tokyu. Pepper+ is being introduced as part of efforts to create an environment for demonstrating and implementing advanced technologies. Pepper+ supports Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean, and will serve two primary roles: 'Facility Guidance,' providing information on usage, pricing plans, membership registration, and FAQs; and 'Tourism Guidance,' introducing local tourist attractions and nearby spots around Izu-Hokuto.

Community and tourism information centers face the challenge of delivering clear facility services and regional information to diverse visitors from home and abroad, while also providing high-quality hospitality that effectively promotes local charm—all with limited staffing.

For facility guidance, Pepper+ leverages generative AI to engage in natural conversations, delivering personalized information tailored to each visitor. By assisting with facility and local information, Pepper+ contributes to reducing staff workload and improving visitor convenience and satisfaction.

For tourism guidance, Pepper+ utilizes generative AI and its built-in camera to naturally approach visitors, understand their attributes and situations, and through dialogue, recommend customized tourism information via the 'AI Concierge Agent.' This enables personalized tourism recommendations aligned with visitors' interests, allowing local attractions to be promoted more effectively. Notably, this marks the first time Pepper+'s 'AI Concierge Agent' has been used for tourism guidance at a facility. *According to SoftBank Robotics

◾️ Overview of 'relark Izu-Hokuto'

Facility Name: relark Izu-Hokuto (Riraku Izu-Hokuto)

Opening Date: July 11, 2026 (Saturday)

Access: 1st floor of Yamamo Plaza (directly connected to Izu-Hokuto Station on the Izu Kyuko Line)

Operating Hours: 10:00–17:00 (Closed on New Year's holidays and Yamamo Plaza closure days)

Number of Seats: 55

About Tokyu Corporation

As the core company of the Tokyu Group, comprising 217 companies and 7 organizations (as of March 31, 2026), Tokyu operates under the group slogan 'Toward a Beautiful Era,' with urban development at the core of its business. For many years, it has conducted diverse operations closely tied to the daily lives of customers, primarily along the Tokyu railway lines.

Official Website: https://www.tokyu.co.jp/

About SoftBank Robotics Corporation

SoftBank Robotics was among the first to launch the humanoid robot 'Pepper' in 2014, followed by the introduction of cleaning robots in 2018, serving and delivery robots in 2021, and logistics automation solutions in 2022. Leveraging insights and operational data from a diverse product portfolio, the company provides solutions to effectively deploy robots, playing a pioneering role as a Robot Integrator (RI). Today, it operates in 9 countries with 21 global locations, where its products are actively used. Utilizing this global network, along with extensive experience and vast operational data, the company is committed to advancing Robotics Transformation (RX) and building a society where humans and robots coexist harmoniously.